Substance Use Disorders and Adoption Status: Implications for Counseling Practice

Abstract

Adopted persons are at a higher risk to receive mental health and substance use treatment (Behle & Pinquart, 2016; Brodzinsky, 2013) and are also at a higher risk for a lifetime prevalence of substance use disorder (Kendler et al., 2012; Yoon et al., 2012). Despite the known risks for adopted persons, there remains a gap in counselor awareness and knowledge of the unique counseling needs of adopted persons and their families seeking substance use counseling (Atkinson et al., 2013; Brodzinsky, 2013; Lancaster et al., 2017). Therefore, we provide an overview of the related substance use research, describe the counseling needs of adopted persons and their families, and offer practice implications.

Relational–Cultural Theory: A Supportive Framework for Transracial Adoptive Families

“…Disconnections may be addressed within all the various relationships maintained by transracially adopted children and adolescents where they are the least powerful members in the relationship. Professional counselors may start the process by broaching (Branco, Jones & Sanna, 2021) the impact of transracial adoption with the child, adolescent, or family system to demonstrate that transracial adoptive status is a valid subject worthy of exploration in counseling. Additionally, to address "family agreement on how to talk to one another about racial differences" (Montgomery & Jordan, 2018, p. 457) counselors may facilitate openness within the family system to develop strategies to discuss racial and ethnic differences.…”